Mitsubishi Montero Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 770 consumer complaints across the 16 model years of the Mitsubishi Montero (1989–2004) that have at least 5 complaints. 2001 has the most, with 166. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (218 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Montero years →
All Montero model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 5 | 125,000 | 3 | 37 | — | Not enough data |
| 2003 | 39 | 81,500 | 2 | 37 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 111 | 84,500 | 3 | 34 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 166 | 107,371 | 4 | 31 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 51 | 109,000 | 2 | 24 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1999 | 40 | 84,000 | 2 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 74 | 89,500 | 4 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1997 | 63 | 110,500 | 2 | 15 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 27 | 135,500 | 2 | 15 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 86 | 147,500 | 2 | 15 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 31 | 185,000 | 5 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 14 | 150,000 | 3 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
| 1992 | 12 | 168,500 | 3 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 18 | 133,345 | 1 | 4 | — | Stable |
| 1990 | 23 | 228,859 | 1 | 4 | — | Stable |
| 1989 | 10 | 194,000 | 2 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes218 32%
- Engine cooling153 22%
- Suspension67 9.7%
- Electrical system58 8.4%
- Transmission and drivetrain56 8.1%
- Steering54 7.8%
- Air bags50 7.2%
- Body and structure35 5.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1995: “Right rear axle housing weld id cracked where it was welded from the factory. It is leaking gear fluid from the crack. It goes about 3/4 the way aound the axle. I was driving and I felt a strange feeling in the rear of the Montero check3d it and fould whwere it is seperatedat the weld, like it was not positioned correctly in the welding jig.”
NHTSA complaint #11191255, filed 2019-03, 200,000 miles2001: “The brake booster accumulator is leaking so it makes a 'chirping' sound from the left side of the vehicle. This is a recognized fault with this vehicle and a recall was issued I did not get notification of the recall so did not get it fixed. It has now become a problem which I am told could cause the brakes to fail, obviously a serious safety issue. I have spoken to Mitsubishi and they will not honor the recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11324165, filed 2020-05, 206,000 miles2002: “While driving on central street in hoffman estates, il the brake light & ABS light came on. Also an alarm sounded. Loss all brakes. We were just going to go on the highway 90. This could of ended up deadly. Upon inspection by pep boys, it was the hydraulic brake booster has failed. The SUV can not be driven until this part is replaced. I have new brakes on the SUV.”
NHTSA complaint #10918621, filed 2016-10, 120,000 milesOther Mitsubishi models
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861 complaintsMitsubishi Mirage
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502 complaintsMitsubishi Outlander Sport
473 complaintsMitsubishi 3000GT
459 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology